Inner Peace in Divine Love Retreat
Week One – Remembering Love
Ex 1 – I remember being loved
Preparation
I take a relaxed position with a straight back, my body poised for prayer.
I make a gesture of reverence and humility.
I read the prayer text about passionate love.
Opening Prayer
I ask for the grace to direct my whole self toward God.
Desire
I desire to feel the love in my life.
Prayer
Using my imagination, I remember an experience of being really loved.
I go back in time to recreate this experience as best I can with the details of place, weather, conversation, actions, and people. I relive the experience with all my senses—I touch, smell, hear, and feel being so loved.
I remain in this place for a few minutes.
Now, eyes still closed, I come back into the room where I am now. I remember the details of place here. How do I feel? I remain here for a few minutes.
I return again to the place where I was loved, I relive being loved. Do I feel any different than the first time I came here? I remain for a few minutes,
I come back into the room where I am now. How do I feel? Different? Now I move back and forth between both places, spending a minute or so in each.
I note any change of feelings. I do this for five minutes.
Conversation
I end my prayer in a short conversation with God, talking as to a friend, about what I have just experienced. Our Father.
Prayer Text
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If one offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
it would be utterly scorned.
(Sg 8:6–7)
Time: 25 Minutes
Preparation: 5 minutes. Opening Prayer: 1 minute. Desire: 1 minute. Prayer: 15 minutes. Conversation: 3 minutes. Listening Book: 10 minutes.
I agree give the FSE to others without cost.
I agree to use the attribution: First Spiritual Exercises © Michael Hansen Ave Maria Press
I agree to embody the FSE Code of Ethics and the The FSE Golden Rules.
I agree to create a FSE Safety Net before giving the FSE retreats.